High-throughput analysis of anthocyanins in horticultural crops using probe electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (PESI/MS/MS)

Combating Inflammation and Oxidative Stress: Exploring the Cellular Effects of Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica Extract

Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica, known as blue honeysuckle or haskap berry, is rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, which are linked to various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The research specifically investigates the effects of an L. caerulea var. kamtschatica extract that has been standardized to contain a minimum of 15% anthocyanins on inflammation and oxidative stress at the cellular level. In vitro studies using A549 human lung epithelial cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells demonstrated the extract's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. L. caerulea var. kamtschatica extract significantly inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 and reduced the production of IL-8 in A549 cells. It also downregulated the expression of proinflammatory genes (RELA and PTGS2) while upregulating antioxidant genes (CAT, HMOX1, and SOD2). In peripheral blood mononuclear cells, L. caerulea var. kamtschatica extract decreased the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 following lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Additionally, the extract inhibited reactive oxygen species formation and nitric oxide production, demonstrating its potential to modulate oxidative stress. Furthermore, in vitro assays indicated that L. caerulea var. kamtschatica extract could hinder the binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to the hACE2 receptor, suggesting antiviral potential.These findings suggest that L. caerulea var. kamtschatica extract exerts significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, indicating its potential as a functional food ingredient or dietary supplement to combat inflammation and oxidative stress.

Development of a rapid-fire drug screening method by probe electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for human urine (RaDPi-U)

Drug screening tests are mandatory in the search for drugs in forensic biological samples, and immunological methods and mass spectrometry (e.g., gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) are commonly used for that purpose. However, these methods have some drawbacks, and developing new screening methods is required. In this study, we develop a rapid-fire drug screening method by probe electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (PESI-MS/MS), which is an ambient ionization mass spectrometry method, for human urine, named RaDPi-U. RaDPi-U is carried out in three steps: (1) mixing urine with internal standard (IS) solution and ethanol, followed by vortexing; (2) pipetting the mixture onto a sample plate for PESI; and (3) rapid-fire analysis by PESI-MS/MS. RaDPi-U targets 40 forensically important drugs, which include illegal drugs, hypnotics, and psychoactive substances. The analytical results were obtained within 3 min because of the above-mentioned simple workflow of RaDPi-U. The calibration curves of each analyte were constructed using the IS method, and they were quantitatively valid, resulting in good linearity (0.972-0.999) with a satisfactory lower limit of detection and lower limit of quantitation (0.01-7.1 ng/mL and 0.02-21 ng/mL, respectively). Further, both trueness and precisions were 28% or less, demonstrating the high reliability and repeatability of the method. Finally, we applied RaDPi-U to three postmortem urine specimens and successfully detected different drugs in each urine sample. The practicality of the method is proven, and RaDPi-U will be a strong tool as a rapid-fire drug screening method not only in forensic toxicology but also in clinical toxicology.

Single-polyp metabolomics for coral health assessment

Coral reef ecosystems supported by environmentally sensitive reef-building corals face serious threats from human activities. Our understanding of these reef threats is hampered by the lack of sufficiently sensitive coral environmental impact assessment systems. In this study, we established a platform for metabolomic analysis at the single-coral-polyp level using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry (probe electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry; PESI/MS/MS) capable of fine-scale analysis. We analyzed the impact of the organic UV filter, benzophenone (BP), which has a negative impact on corals. We also analyzed ammonium and nitrate samples, which affect the environmental sensitivity of coral-zooxanthella (Symbiodiniaceae) holobionts, to provide new insights into coral biology with a focus on metabolites. The method established in this study breaks new ground by combining PESI/MS/MS with a technique for coral polyps that can control the presence or absence of zooxanthellae in corals, enabling functions of zooxanthellae to be assessed on a polyp-by-polyp basis for the first time. This system will clarify biological mechanisms of corals and will become an important model system for environmental impact assessment using marine organisms.